
(lass-tXZl- 

Book 



FOREST NURSERY 



AND REFORESTATION WORK 



IN 






MASSACHUSETTS 




By R. S. LANGDELL, ASSISTANT 

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. W. RANE, STATE FORESTER 



BOSTON 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING COMPANY. STATE PRINTERS 

18 POST OFFICE SQUARE 

1910 






Approved by 
The State Board op Publication. 






CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introduction, ............. 5 

Acknowledgments, ........... 5 

The forest nursery, ............ 7 

Procuring the seed, ..... . 7 

Layering seed in sand, 8 

Site for a nursery, ........... 9 

Preparation for the seed heds, 9 

Time to plant seed, ........... 9 

A marker, ..... ........ 10 

Sowing the seed, 10 

Mulching, 10 

Shading 10 

Damping off, 11 

Protection for the winter, 11 

Hardening off of evergreens, ......... 12 

Transplanting, ............ 12 

Puddling 12 

Heeling in young trees, .......... 13 

Root pruning, ............ 13 

Packing seedlings, . 13 

Data on collecting and storing forest tree seeds, ..... 14 

Cost of seedlings and transplants per thousand, 15 

Reforestation, ............. 15 

Cut-over land, 15 

Burnt-over land, . 16 

Run-out pasture land, 16 

Seedlings and transplants, 17 

Varieties to plant, 17 

Trees suitable for forest planting in Massachusetts, 18 

Nurserymen, ............ 19 

Spacing of trees, 19 

Heeling in on lot, ........... 20 

Method of setting the trees, 20 

Time to plant, ........... 21 

Protection of plantation, 21 

Fire lines, ............ 21 

Reforestation work done by the State, 22 

Reforestation act of 1908 (chapter 478) , 23 

Sylvicultural characteristics of trees, ....... 25 

Trees most commonly found growing in Massachusetts, the uses to which 

their timber is put, and a few of their most important enemies, . . 25 

Application for examination of lands, 36 



INTRODUCTION. 



The State Forester has been anxious to place in the hands 
of our people some definite information on forest nursery and 
reforestation work. It is believed that this bulletin will meet 
the requirements. 

Nearly every farm in Massachusetts — in fact, in New Eng- 
land — has its woodlot, or some land suited only to the growing 
of trees. In most cases such land has been wholly or partly 
cut off or burned over, and left as barren, worthless tracts, an 
unsightly addition to the rest of the property. 

It is the purpose of this bulletin to set forth a remedy which 
will bring these waste and denuded lands back into forest 
growth, and provide a method to keep them in a condition to 
be a source of revenue to the owner at a very small outlay. If, 
when a woodlot is cut off, provision is made for restocking it, 
either by natural reproduction, as the leaving of seed trees, 
or by replanting it with nursery-grown stock, much headway will 
be made towards bringing the waste lands of Massachusetts 
back into forest growth. 

Nursery work and that of reforestation go hand in hand 
though two entirely separate undertakings. It is from the 
nursery that the young trees are furnished to be used on land 
to be restocked. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

The work of writing and compiling the data in this bulletin 
was intrusted to Mr. R. S. Langdell, my assistant, who has 
for the past three years been devoting his energies to carrying 
on the nursery work at Amherst, and furthering the reforesta- 
tion work throughout the State. 

F. W. RANE, 

State Forester. 
Boston, Mass., March 1, 1910. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



THE FOREST NURSERY. 

One of the first things in nursery work is the procuring of 
the seed. In most cases our native trees furnish this in great 
abundance, though in some years the seed crop is much more 
heavy than in others, due to climatic conditions. Practically 
all of the seeds referred to may be easily gathered in almost 
any locality throughout the State. 

Procuring the Seed. 

The white pine (Pinus strobus), our native pine, bears its 
seed in the cones or burrs, which generally grow in clusters of 
twos or threes on the upper branches of the tree. Many per- 
sons wonder why it is that they cannot find the seed in the 
opened cones picked up in any pine grove ; in fact, a number of 
cases have been known where persons have planted the cones 
which have fallen to the ground in late fall or winter, the 
scales open and the seed escaped, and expected to obtain a crop 
of trees. The seed is located two under each scale of the cone, 
and is about the size of a raisin seed, being provided with a 
small, bee-like wing, which favors its distribution by the wind. 
The cones commence to turn brown in this section about the 
middle of August, and from then on ripen very rapidly, one 
or two sunny days drying the scales so that they open and set 
the seeds at liberty. The cones must therefore be picked while 
green, before the scales have opened, by climbing the tree and 
picking by hand or with pruning shears. Sometimes a person 
may be fortunate enough to find a large number where the trees 
are being cut for lumber, — they are then readily picked into 
baskets. The squirrels also at times cut oif large numbers of 
cones, which fall to the ground and can be gathered up, care 



8 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

being taken to select cones which have matured sufficiently for 
the seeds to be fertile. 

After the cones are picked they should be spread out in the 
sun on a smooth floor (Fig. 1), where they can be raked over 
from time to time, to aid drying. In a week or two the scales 
will begin to open and the seed fall out. The cones can then 
be raked oif and the seed swept up. If the cones are then put 
into a bag and flayed, any remaining seed will rattle out. The 
cones should be kept from getting wet while drying, as the 
scales will close and will have to dry thoroughly again before 
opening. They should also be kept away from birds and mice, 
which often destroy large quantities of seed before being de- 
tected. If a large amount of seed is to be extracted, a drying 
room with drying racks and screens may be provided. 1 

Spruce, hemlock, larch, Norway pine, pitch pine and other 
coniferous tree seeds can be gathered and extracted in the above 
manner. If properly stored, the seed in most cases retains 
its vitality for a number of year-. 

The seed should be cleaned by winnowing, and then put into 
bags and kept in a cool, dry place through the winter, to be in 
readiness for planting the following spring. 

The seed of maple, ash and other deciduous trees, except 
the nut trees, is most readily picked from the tree. The oak, 
chestnut, hickories, locust and some others ripen their seed in 
the- fall, and shed it to the ground by the action of frost and 
wind. 

Layering Seed in Sand. 

It is best in most cases to protect the germinating qualities of 
nut seeds during the winter by storing in sand. 

Layering is a method of storing certain seeds through the 
winter, and should be resorted to when keeping chestnut, oak, 
hickories, etc. For this purpose a well-drained slope should be 
selected, and a hole dug in the ground large enough to hold the 
seed ; a layer of sand about 3 inches deep should then be placed 
in the bottom, then a layer of seed, followed by a layer of sand, 
and so on till the seed is stored. It should then be covered about 
1 foot deep, to protect it from freezing and thawing. When only 



1 Bulletin No. 73, Forest Service, Washington, D. C. 




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Fig. 1. — Pine cones spread out to dry, in 
order that seed may be extracted. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 9 

a small amount of seed is to be stored, a large drain pipe set in 
the ground with the bottom covered with fine mesh wire is very 
convenient, the seed being layered inside the pipe, to protect it 
from rodents. A wooden box used instead of the drain pipe will 
answer the purpose very well, and make it easier to remove the 
seed in the spring. 

Site for a Nursery. 
A level, well-drained site should be selected for a nursery, the 
soil being preferably a sandy loam, not subject to washing and 
free from stones. It is also well to select a plot near the house, 
where it will be convenient to take care of, and offer some pro- 
tection from birds and rodents, which often destroy the seed 
after it has been planted. A small plot in the garden will be 
well suited for the purpose. 

Preparation for the Seed Beds. 

The land to be used for the seed beds should first be well 
plowed and harrowed till the soil is pulverized. A small amount 
of well-rotted barn-yard manure, free from weed seeds, may be 
used to advantage. The beds should then be laid out, the most 
convenient size being a bed 4 feet wide and any convenient 
length, with walks 2 feet wide between the beds. If the surface 
soil retains water it will be well to raise the bed a few inches 
above the walk, and have it about 1 inch higher in the center 
than on the sides. This will give the moisture a chance to drain 
off. After the beds have been made up they should be raked 
over with an iron rake till all small stones and lumps have been 
removed and the soil thoroughly pulverized. The beds are then 
ready for the seed, which may be planted in drills or sown 
broadcast. 

Time to plant Seed. 

As a rule, the seed should be planted in the spring, as soon 
as the ground has warmed up a little, it being generally advisable 
to plant the seed in drills, to facilitate cultivating the seedlings. 
If planted broadcast, the seedling growing near the middle of 
the bed will be limited for light and space. 



10 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



A Marker. 

For making the drills to plant pine seed, a marker made of 
strips of wood 4 feet long, nailed to cross-pieces on a board, with 
the strips about 4 inches apart, and so arranged as to make a 
drill about y 2 inch deep, has been found very useful. The 
marker (Fig. 2) can then be pressed down across the bed. If, 
each time it is moved, the inside cleat is allowed to rest in the 
trench previously made by the outside cleat, very uniform drills 
can be made. 

Sowing the Seed. 

After the drills have been made, the seed should be sown 
similarly to any garden seed. In case of pine seed, if sown 
nearly touching each other, 1 pound would cover a bed 4 feet 
wide and 40 feet long. After the seed is sown, it should be 
covered by lightly brushing or sifting a little fine soil over it and 
firming it slightly. If the marker has been made by nailing 
strips to a smooth board, the back side can be used for this pur- 
pose. Some nurserymen advise making a box bed similar to a 
1ml bed. but with holes in the side to act as ventilators and for 
drainage, a wire screen protecting the beds from rodents. 

Mulching. 
As soon as the seed is sown, the beds should be covered over 
with leaves or needles about 3 inches deep, in order to hold the 
moisture in the ground and keep an even temperature. This 
prevents the soil from becoming dry, in which case the seed 
would not germinate. As soon as the seed commences to appear 
above ground, the mulch should be carefully removed. Screens 
for shading should be provided in the mean time, as pine seed 
.does not generally germinate for from two to three weeks. 

Shading. 
For the first two years most coniferous seedlings need to be 
protected from the sun (Figs. 5 and 6). For this purpose both 
screens (Fig. 3) may be cheaply made, using two laths as cross- 
pieces, and nailing others to them about their width apart. If a 
lath is nailed on slanting through the middle, it makes the screen 



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Fig. 2. — View of marker for making drill iu which to sow evergreen seeds. 




Fig. 3.— View of lath screen to be used in shading evergreen seedlings from 

the sun 




Fig. 4. — Stake to be driven 
into ground to hold screens 
above the seed beds. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 11 

much more firm. The screens should then be placed about 1 foot 
above the bed, the laths running north and south. Stakes with 
a cross-piece 1 foot long nailed on top (Fig. 4), stuck into the 
ground at each corner of the screens, will hold them in place. 

Damping off. 

After the seedlings have appeared above ground and the mulch 
been removed, a dangerous disease to the seedlings is liable to 
appear, especially if cool, wet weather sets in. This disease 
causes the seedlings to wilt or die off in large numbers, the stem 
near the ground rotting off, so that the seedling tips over and 
dies. The best way to prevent this disease is to remove the 
screens for a short time each day. Care must, however, be taken 
not to allow them to remain off long enough for the sun to burn 
the seedlings, as they are very tender at this stage. If the beds 
are sprinkled with coarse sand, it also prevents the soil from 
becoming wet and damp. 

The seed beds should be carefully weeded as soon as any weeds 
appear, care being taken not to root up the seedlings. After the 
seedlings have obtained a good start, the roots have branched out 
and a firm hold has been secured, a small hand weeder may be 
drawn between the drills, to remove the small weeds and at the 
same time cultivate and fine the soil about the roots of the trees. 

Oak, chestnut and other deciduous tree seeds may be sown 
in beds 8 or 10 feet wide and 25 to 50 feet long, the seed being 
planted about 2 inches apart in trenches 1 foot apart. This 
leaves ample space for cultivating seedlings. It is a safe rule to 
plant seed twice its own depth, as if planted too deep it is liable 
not to come up till the following spring. Under average condi- 
tions, deciduous seeds need not be mulched or shaded. In a 
short time they should be of sufficient size so that a small hand 
cultivator may be used. 

Protection in the Winter. 
In order to protect the tender seedlings from alternate freez- 
ing and thawing during the winter, they should be mulched 
with leaves, pine needles or straw. The screens should then be 
removed from the seed beds of evergreens, and the mulch spread 
over the beds to a depth of from 3 to 4 inches. The screens can 



12 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

then be laid down on the mulch, to hold it in place and prevent it 
from being scattered by the wind. 

The seedlings of deciduous trees need not be mulched, but it is 
often well to hill them up slightly just before the ground freezes, 
by piling a little earth up around the stem with a hoe or culti- 
vator. Mulching may, however, be resorted to where the winter 
is severe. 

In the spring, as soon as the snow is off and the frost out of 
the ground, the mulch should be removed and the screens put 
up over the evergreen seedlings. Weeding should be done when 
necessary during the season, from three to four times probably 
being sufficient if they have been well taken care of in the pre- 
vious year. 

Hardening off of Evergreens. 

In the later part of the season, when the sun is not as strong as 
during the summer, the screens should be removed for a short 
time each day, a little longer each time, and finally left off alto- 
gether. This will harden the plants, and get them into condition 
to withstand the second winter without mulching, so that they 
will be ready to transplant in the following spring. 

Transplanting. 
When the white pine seedlings are two years old, they should 
be either transplanted in the nursery | Figs. 7 and 8) or set in 
their permanent sites. It is generally preferable to transplant 
them in the nursery for one or two years, in order to form a more 
compact root growth and make a more stocky plant. In the 
spring, as soon as the frost is well out of the ground (April or 
May), the seedlings should be dug up and tied in bunches of 50 
or 100. In digging, care should be taken not to break off many 
of the small rootlets. It is also better to choose a cloudy day 
for the work, rather than a bright, sunshiny day, when there is 
danger of the roots drying out quickly. 

Puddling. 
As soon as the trees are dug and tied into bunches, the roots 
should be dipped into a puddle of mud and water, mixed to the 
consistency of common paint. This covers the roots with a thin 
coating of dirt, which prevents their coming in contact with the 
air and drying out. 




Fn; . 5. — Showing method of screening evergreen seedlings from tin- sun during 

tlic first year. 







Fig. 6. — View of the seed beds with screens removed, to allow the beds ti> dry out 
and prevent damping off. 




Fig. 7. —View of transplant beds, seedlings being sot in rows about a foot apart, 
to aid in cultivating. 




Fig. 8. — White asli transplants, two years old, ready to set in permanent site. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 13 



Heeling in Young Trees. 

To keep the trees in good condition till ready for transplant- 
ing, they may be temporarily set in a trench about 1 foot deep, 
dug with one side on a slant. The bunches of seedlings may 
then be placed side by side against the slanting trench, and a 
little damp soil thrown over the roots and firmed down. 

Most hardwood trees should be transplanted when one year 
old, as they develop a long tap root, which, if allowed to grow for 
a number of years without resetting, becomes so well rooted that 
it will be impossible to dig up the plant without serious injury. 

Root Pruning. 
In order to cause the tree to develop a compact root growth, 
it is generally considered advisable to cut off a portion of the 
tap root on deciduous seedlings, such as ash, hickories, catalpa, 
etc. The cutting off of about one-third of the root causes it to 
develop a lateral growth. 

Packing Seedlings. 
When the trees are to be removed to some distance from the 
nursery, the bunches should be packed in boxes, with the roots in 
damp sphagnum moss. A layer of damp moss should be put 
in the bottom of the box, and by alternating the bunches so that 
the roots will all be in the center, making first a layer of moss, 
then a layer of trees, and so on till the box is full, a large number 
may be packed in a small space. It is also well to puddle the 
roots before packing, giving them an additional coating of soil. 



14 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



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REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



15 



Cost 


of Seedlings and Transplants per Thousand. 












Price op Foreign 




Price 


of American 


Trees. 


Transplants. 1 




Variety. 
















1 Tear. 


2 Years. 


3 Years. 


2 Years. 


3 Years. 


4 Years. 


White pine, . 




$3 00-$5 00 


$12 00 


$0 84-$0 96 


$2 64 


$2 88 


Pitch pine, 


- 


4 50- 7 00 


20 00 


1 00 


3 00 


- 


Red pine, 


- 


15 00 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Scotch pine, . 


_ 


4 00- 6 00 


12 00 


1 20- 1 60 


1 80 


2 88 


Norway spruce, 


_ 


6 00 


10 00- 16 00 


36- 60 


1 44 


2 40 


European larch, . 


- 


6 00- 8 00 


19 00 


1 50 


2 00 


- 


Arbor vitse, . 


- 


5 00 


15 00 


- 


- 


- 


Hemlock, 


- 


in oo 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Rock maple, . 


$5 00-$8 00 


12 00- 16 00 


30 00 


- 


- 


- 


White ash, . 


6 00- 8 00 


10 00- 18 00 


20 00- 40 00 


- 


- 


- 


Tulip tree, 


_ 


- 


20 00 


- 


- 


- 


White birch, . 


6 00 


14 00- 35 00 


30 00- 50 00 


- 


- 


- 


Beech, . 


9 00 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Chestnut, 


s-00-15 00 


20 00-35 00 


- 


- 


- 


- 


White oak, . 


10 00- 15 00 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


Red oak, 


7' 00- 8 00 


10 00- 12 00 


15 00-35 00 


- 


- 


- 


Hickory, 


8 00- 10 00 


12 00- 15 00 


20 00- 35 00 


- 


- 


- 


Black locust, 


3 50- 5 00 


8 00- 15 00 











1 Freight and charges on imported stock average from $0.50 to $0.75 per thousand. 

REFORESTATION. 

The total area of Massachusetts is about 5,321,787 acres, of 
which 2,672,950 acres is land adapted only to the growing of 
trees. Of this area there are about 700,000 acres which at the 
present time constitute practically worthless tracts, being simply 
a tax to the owners, who at a very small outlay could bring the 
land back into a profitable forest growth, as well as adding to 
the scenic beauty of the section. 

This land lies in tracts varying in size from one to thousands 
of acres. Practically every farm has a portion which at one 
time or another has been cut off, burnt over, or allowed to re- 
lapse into a condition where it is no longer a source of revenue, 
but a piece of property which brings in no return, though it is 
still taxable. Lumbermen, mill owners, water-right companies 
and farmers all have some land which falls under one of the fol- 
lowing types, and it is this sort of land which fortunately fur- 
nishes ideal conditions for forest planting. 



Cut-over Land (Fig. 9). 
It can be safely said that every lumberman owns one or more 
tracts of land which he has cut off, but which has not come back 
into a growth which w T ill ever be of any great profit to himself 



16 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

or others, if allowed to remain in its present condition. Na- 
ture intends that this land should remain in forest growth, but 
through inconsiderate cutting it has come up to an undergrowth 
of small value. It is always preferable to restock this type of 
laud as soon as possible after it has been cut, as the sprout and 
hardwood growths, if allowed to gain too great a headway, will 
hold the seedlings in check. 

Burnt-over Land (Fig. 10). 
On land which has been subjected to repeated fires, destroying 
the growth and ground cover, the soil is left free to the action of 
the weather, to be quickly dried out by the sun, or, if on a side 
hill, to be washed into the valley by rains. The seed or seed- 
lings which may have been on the ground have been destroyed, 
and the land might lie for a long period of years before it would 
reseed itself naturally. Land of this type, therefore, should be 
set with considerable care, in order to obtain the best results. 
It is generally advisable to set a three-year-old or four-year-old 
transplant here, rather than seedlings. 

Run-out Pasture Land (Figs. 11 and 12). 
Many of the farms throughout the State are becoming run 
out, and are allowed to grow up to brush and undesirable hard- 
woods. Pasture lands especially are being encroached upon by 
some of our less valuable trees, such as bird cherry and gray 
birch, which so overshade the ground that good pasturage runs 
out, and the lot is abandoned for fields affording better forage. 
In many cases scattering white pine have crept in, and probably 
in time would seed in the whole piece ; but the old trees, while 
doing good work in reseeding, would be of little value, as, grow- 
ing so scattered, they would develop large lateral branches, in- 
stead of giving a clear, straight bole to the trunk, so desirable in 
the best grade of lumber. If the lot could be set out with seed- 
lings and the trees allowed to grow in sufficiently dense stands, 
the lower branches would die off naturally, and smooth, clear 
lumber would be assured. 




Fig. 9. - Cut-over land, suitable for restocking with white pine. The sawdust pile 

tells the story. 




Fig. 10. - Burnt-over land, where all the seed and young trees have been destroyed 
by repeated fires. Land should be reforested. 




Fig. 11. — Run-out pasture land, which should he brought back into forest growtl 




Fig. 12. — Land comins 



up to gray birch and undesirable hardwood, and which 
should be reforested. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 17 



Seedlings and Transplants. 

It is generally considered advisable to set transplants rather 
than seedlings, -although under most conditions in this section 
the two-year-old white pine has been planted with good results. 
As a rule two-year-old seedlings may be planted on land classed 
as run-out pasture land or on cut-over land with good success, 
there being a little shade afforded by gray birch or low bushes. 

Three-year-old or four-year-old transplants are adapted for 
planting on open land, exposed to the drying effects of sun 
and wind (Fig. 13). As their root growth is large, they can be 
more deeply set in the ground where they can take up the mois- 
ture ; whereas, if the roots were near the surface, as they would 
necessarily be if seedlings were used, the trees would die from 
lack of moisture in the top soil. It is also best to set transplants 
in old fields or mowings, where small plants would be beaten 
down and choked out by the thick fog or dead grass. 

Varieties to plant 

There are a number of varieties of trees which may be 
planted with good results. It is advisable to set some tree which 
grows naturally in the locality in which the work is to be done. 
' The white pine (Pinus strobus) (Fig. 14) has been used 
largely for reforestation purposes throughout the State, and 
has adapted itself to most of our New England conditions ; in 
fact, this section of the country at one time was covered with 
primeval forest comprised largely of white pine. The rapid- 
ity of its growth and the many uses to which the variety of 
wood may be put makes it a practical tree for forest planting, 
and the one most used in this work. It is, however, recom- 
mended to use some other variety on Cape Cod, unless the plan- 
tation is well protected from the wind, which on the Cape 
causes a somewhat stunted growth. 

The white ash (Fraxinus americana) is well suited for plant- 
ing on a springy side hill, where the growth and texture of the 
wood of this variety often reaches its highest quality. It is 
also practically immune from the attack of the gypsy and 
brown-tail moths, which are so detrimental to the trees in many 
towns in the eastern part of the State. 



18 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

The Norway spruce (Picea excelsa), a tree grown on an ex- 
tensive scale in European countries with climatic conditions 
similar to our own, is a tree well suited for planting in sections 
where our native red spruce is the predominating species. It is 
a rapid grower, and its wood is also claimed to have properties 
for the manufacture of paper pulp not contained in other native 
trees. This variety has been planted quite extensively in New 
York State, where excellent results have been obtained. 
. For planting on Cape Cod, the Scotch pine, pitch pine, Aus- 
trian pine, black locust and oak should be used. The Cape 
conditions vary in a number of ways, and should be Looked into 
to some extent before undertaking to plant the trees. In many 
sections of the Cape repeated tires have so destroyed the ground 
cover and even burnt into the top soil that a transplant should 
be used, whose root could reach down into the soil deep enough 
io obtain moisture. In other eases a screen of some rapid- 
growing tree- should lie planted around the plantation, to act 
a- a protection from the prevailing wind, which often causes 
the trees to lean. In almost every instance a plantation on the 
Cape should have some protection from foresl tires. The sandy 
formation of the soil offers great inducement for making and 
retaining a fire line, ai very small expense. A furrow in most 
cases could thus be made with a plow, ami the dry, sandy soil 
thus turned up would act as a check to a running fire. It could 
be very easily kept free and clear from dead grass, leaves and 
brush. In fact, if the towns comprising the Cape could be 
brought to see the advantage of maintaining a strip 50 feet 
wide on each side of a town line, many of the large disastrous 
fires of that section could be prevented. And, as the town lines 
necessarily have to be blazed or marked every few years, the 
labor and expense for such work could be done away with. This 
is a line of work which might receive some attention in other 
sections of the State, as well as on the Cape. In a number of 
towns where a rather modified form of the work has been done, 
it has been found remarkably effective and the expense com- 
paratively small. 




Fig. 13.— Lan 



planted with white jiine transplants, six years after setting 
Notice remarkable growth of leading shoot. 




Fig. 14. — View of thirty-eight-year-old planta- 
tion of wliite pine, showing how the lower 
branches have died from lack of light, giving 
a clear, straight bole to the trunk, and produc- 
ing' clean lumber, free from large knots. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



19 



Trees suitable for Forest Planting in Massachusetts. 



Name op Species. 



White pine, 

Pitch pine, 

Red pine, 
Norway spruce, 
European larch, 
Arbor vita?, 
Hemlock, 

Rock maple, . 
White ash, 
Tulip tree, 
White birch, . 
Poplar, . 
Beech, 
Chestnut, 
White oak, 
Red oak, . 
Hickory, . 
Black locust, . 



Any soil not near coast or 

swampy, . 
Sandy soil, on coast, 



Sandy soil, inland, 
Sandy loam, 
Light soil, . 
Sandy soil, . 
Well - drained soi 

swampy, . 
Well-drained soil, 
Wet land, swampy, 
Sandy loam, 
Sandy or gravelly soil, 
Sandy or gravelly soil, 
Moist loam, . 
Well drained soil, 
Sandy loam, 
Well-drained soil, 
Sandy loam, 
Sandy soil, on coast, 



Lumber, box boards. 
Lumber, to hold sand 

check. 
Lumber, ship timbers. 
Lumber, Christmas trees. 
Piles, ship building. 
Posts, shingles, etc. 

Lumber, ties, tanning. 
Furniture, floors. 
Lumber, carriages, tools. 
Lumber, pulp wood. 
Furniture, fuel, handles. 
Pulp wood, exeelsa. 
Tools, laths, etc. 
Poles, posts, ties, etc. 
Agricultural tools. 
Lumber, fuel. 
Carriage building, tools. 
Posts, ties, etc. 



Nurserymen. 
American Nurserymen. 
Northeastern Forestry Company, . . New Haven, Conn. 

American Forestry Company, . . South Framingham, Mass. 

D. Hill, Dundee, 111. 

Evergreen Nursery Company, . . Sturgeon Bay, Wis. 

Garfield Williamson, .... 52 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 

Massachusetts State Forester, . . Boston, Mass. 1 



J. Heins Sonne, 
Julius Hansen, 
Pierre Sebire & Son, 
Dickson Nurseries, 
Peter Schott, 



FOREK tN Nu RS E RYM EN . 

Holstenbeck, Ger. 

Pinneberg, Ger. 

Ussy, Calvados, France. 

Chester, Eng. 

Knittelshem, Rheinpfalz, Ger. 



Spacing of Trees. 

In order to produce a dense stand of trees, where the lower 
branches will die off and fall to the ground from lack of light, 
giving a clear, straight bole (Fig. 14), so desirable for lumber 
purposes, the trees should be set 6 feet apart each way, or about 
1,210 to the acre. The exact number will necessarily vary ac- 
cording to the condition of the land. On rough, stony tracts, 

1 The State Forester often knows of local growers that have from one thousand to Ave 
hundred thousand trees for sale each year, and is glad to give information in regard to 
them. 



20 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

where the trees will be set only where there is sufficient soil for 
the roots to obtain a firm footing, the number of trees may be a 
few hundred less than on land covered by a good top soil. If the 
trees are set in rows running from one side of the lot to the 
other, it will be found quite easy to keep track of the portion 
which has been set. The distance apart may be very readily 
determined by making the holes two paces apart, or about 6 
feet. It is also generally considered best to make a clear plant- 
ing, rather than to mix varieties. 

Heeling in on Lot. 

Where a large number of trees are to be planted, they should 
be heeled in on the lot in a place where there is some protec- 
tion from the sun ; otherwise, a screen of brush may be put up. 
It will also be well to choose a spot near a brook or stream, as 
the seedlings will need to be watered if they become dry before 
transplanting. After they have been set in their permanent 
site they will take care of themselves, as to water them when 
spread out over a large area would be an almost impossible 
undertaking. 

Method of setting the Trees. 

The most convenient method of setting the trees is for the 
men to work in pairs, one making the holes and the other plant- 
ing the trees. The first man with a grub hoe or mattock should 
strike into the ground (Figs. 15 and 16) and make a small hole, 
leaving as much as possible of the soil removed where it can 
be readily used to place around the roots when the tree is 
set ; then he takes two paces and makes another hole. The 
second man, carrying a pail containing a bunch of seedlings, 
the roots of which are in a puddle of mud and water always to 
be kept in the pail, takes a plant and sets it in the hole (Fig. 
17) at about the same depth as it originally grew, covering the 
roots with fine soil and firming it down by pressure of the foot 
(Fig. 18). The men should keep together and work from one 
side of the lot to the other and then back, the rows being kept 
about two paces apart. If stakes with flags are placed along 
the outside row and moved from time to time, it will be much 
easier to follow the row. One man should superintend from 
six to eight pairs of men. 




■*■■■$■ /<,, 

'.• J^a^H^^;,**.^- via 




Fig. 15. — First step in making- the hole. 



Fig. 16.— Second step in making tlit 
hole. 












^a 


■ VI 


% 


^"f^. 


' v>"'31 


m$BL'<&ji 


raH 


M®, ya^B 


?v-- ■ ;.'• sFJ 




■ \fd sr^BcL*- ^ ■ 




llSf 






\ -\Vi,-i >i 


CTgS|g| 




. flju&f^wSr&ififlD 





Fig. 17. — Setting the seedling and 
covering the roots. 



Fig. is. — Finning the soil by pressure 
of the foot. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 21 



Time to plant. 

Planting should be undertaken as soon as the frost is out of 
the ground in the spring, the month of April and first of May 
being preferable, in order that the young roots may get started 
before the dry season sets in. Spring planting is preferable to 
fall planting, as the roots having started will not be as likely to 
be heaved out by the frost ; although under certain conditions 
fall planting is sometimes resorted to, as in a case where a piece 
of land is too wet to work in the spring, but becomes dry during 
the summer and fall. 

Two men working in the above manner will set about an acre 
per day, the expense of reforesting a tract, therefore, ranging 
from $5 to $10 per acre, depending on the price of the trees used 
and the cost of labor, white pine seedlings generally selling for 
from $3 to $5 per 1,000, and labor ranging from $1.50 to $2 per 
day. The above estimate is based on about 30 lots planted by 
the State Forestry department, the lots ranging in size from 20 
to 200 acres. It was generally found that the average cost is 
much smaller on large lots than on small ones, the men becoming 
used to the lay of the land, and thus being able to work with 
greater speed. 

Protection of Plantation. 

After the lot has been planted, it needs practically no care 
unless a large proportion die out, in which case the blanks should 
be filled in with transplants. The lot should not be pastured, as 
many of the young trees would be trampled down. It is also 
well to put up posters prohibiting hunters and berry pickers, who 
often through carelessness start fires capable of great damage. 

Fire lines (Fig. 19). 
Around large lots a fire line should be cut on the exposed side 
of the plantation, to protect them from forest fires creeping in 
from adjoining land. A strip 50 feet wide cleaned of brush 
has been found very effective, the brush being piled and burned 
when the snow is on the ground (Fig. 20). On the side nearest 
the plantation (Fig. 20) a trench 6 feet wide should be grubbed 
up or plowed up, and kept free from weeds and dead leaves. In 
this way a fire working in from other land would be unable to 



22 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

jump across the trench, having nothing to feed on. A trench 
on the outside of the line would also be of advantage ; but in case 
only one trench is deemed advisable, it is better to have it on the 
inside of the fire line. A line so made will offer a place for 
checking a fire or back-firing. The cost will vary according to 
the growth which has to be cleared. In cases where the wood is 
large enough to put it into cord wood, the expense will be small, 
the work nearly paying for itself; but under average conditions, 
where no return can be derived, the cost will vary from $150 to 
$200 per mile. It is best to cut and pile the brush for such a 
line in early fall, when there will be no danger from sparks or 
fire running. A strip of this kind is of especial advantage along 
railroads. 

In extremely dry times, when there i- danger from berry pick- 
ers or hunters, a look-out from some high knell will be of advan- 
tage. A fire patrol of a lot, whether planted, or a natural stand, 
is practical in dry times. The old saying, that " An ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure," certainly applies in cases 
where forest fires are concerned. 

REFORESTATION WORK DONE BY THE STATE. 

Under " An Act to provide for the purchase of forest land 
and for reforestation," passed by the Legislature of 1908, provi- 
sion i- nude that private land owners may turn tracts of land 
suitable for reforestation purposes over to the State, to be planted 
and handled under practical forestry management, such owners 
reserving the right to redeem the land at any time within ten 
years, for the actual amount expended. 

During the year 1909 about 1,000 acres were deeded to the 
State and planted under the supervision of expert foresters from 
the State Forester's office, the work being done by local gangs 
(Fig. 21 ) picked up in the various towns where the lots were 
situated. The cost of planting, including price of trees and la- 
bor of setting, ranged from $5 to $10 per acre, according to land 
and labor conditions. A large proportion of the trees used in 
the work were purchased from outside nurserymen ; but in the 
future, by raising the stock in State nurseries, the above cost of 
planting should be reduced. 




Fu;. lit. — Fire Hue, Metropolitan Water Board reservation, Boylston. 




Fig. 20. — Burning brush along a fire line, work being done when the snow is on 
the ground, to prevent the fire from running. A trench six feet wide indis- 
tinctly shown on the left. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 23 



Reforestation Act of 1908 (Chapter 478). 

An Act to provide for the Purchase of Forest Land and for 

Reforestation. 
Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 

Section 1. For the purpose of experiment and illustration in forest 
management and for the purposes specified in section seven of this 
act, the sum of five thousand dollars may be expended in the year 
nineteen hundred and eight, and the sum of ten thousand dollars an- 
nually thereafter, by the state forester, with the advice and consent 
of the governor and council, in purchasing lands situated within the 
commonwealth and adapted to forest production. The price of such 
land shall not exceed in any instance five dollars per acre, nor shall 
more than forty acres be acquired in any one tract in any one year, 
except that a greater area may so be acquired if the land purchased 
directly affects a source or tributary of water supply in any city or 
town of the commonwealth. All lands acquired under the provisions 
of this act shall be conveyed to the commonwealth, and no lands shall 
be paid for nor shall any moneys be expended in improvements thereon 
until all instruments of conveyance and the title to be transferred 
thereby have been approved by the attorney-general and until such 
instruments have been executed and recorded. 

Section 2. The owners of land purchased under this act, or their 
heirs and assigns, may repurchase the land from the commonwealth 
at any time within ten years after the purchase by the commonwealth, 
upon paying the price originally paid by the commonwealth, together 
with the amount expended in improvements and maintenance, with 
interest at the rate of four per cent per annum on the purchase price. 
The state forester, with the approval of the governor and council, may 
execute in behalf of the commonwealth such deeds of reconveyance 
as may be necessary under this section : provided, however, that there 
shall be included in such deeds a restriction requiring that trees cut 
from such property shall not be less than eight inches in diameter 
at the butt. 

Section 3. The state forester may in his discretion, but subject 
to the approval of the deed and title by the attorney-general as pro- 
vided in section one, accept on behalf of the commonwealth gifts of 
land to be held and managed for the purpose hereinbefore expressed. 
A donor of such land may reserve the right to buy back the land in 
accordance with the provisions of section two, but in the absence of 
a provision to that effect in his deed of gift he shall not have such 
right. 

Section 4. Land acquired under the provisions of this act shall be 
under the control and management of the state forester who may, sub- 



24 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

ject to the approval of the governor and council, cut and sell trees, 
wood and other produce therefrom. 

Section 5. All moneys received by or payable to the commonwealth 
or any one acting on its behalf under the provisions of this act shall 
be paid into the treasury of the commonwealth. 

Section 6. Land acquired under the provisions of this act and sub- 
sequenthy reeonveyed under the provisions of sections two or three 
shall not be exempt from taxation on account of any plantation of 
trees set out or planted while it was held by the commonwealth. 

Section 7. For the purpose of assisting in reforestation a portion, 
not exceeding twenty per cent of the money authorized by this act 
to be expended may be used by the state forester for the distribution 
at not less than cost of seeds and seedlings to land owners who are 
citizens of the commonwealth, under such conditions and restrictions 
as the state forester, subject to the approval of the governor and 
council, may deem advisable. 

Section S. The state forester shall re-plant or otherwise manage 
all land acquired by the commonwealth and held by it under the pro- 
visions of this act, in such manner as will, in his judgment, produce 
the best forest growth both as to practical forestry results and pro- 
tection of water supplies. 

SECTION 9. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are 
hereby repealed. 

Section 10. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved 
May I, !!>0S. 

The purpose of the above act is to place before the people an 
example along forestry lines which will aid them in carrying 
out the work for themselves. For this reason it is desired that 
the State, as far as possible, take over lots easily accessible to 
main highways. 

In some instances lots have been taken over where it has been 
deemed advisable to protect the plantations from forest fires by 
making a fire line, or making provision for some one in the near 
vicinity to be supplied with lire extinguishers and equipment 
for fighting fires, and to patrol the lot in exceedingly dry times. 

A number of lots have also been acquired where a small por- 
tion had some small growth which, if systematically thinned, 
could be profitably handled (Fig. 22). 

Private parties owning land in the State adapted for reforest- 
ation purposes should make application to the State Forester, 
who will sladlv furnish advice alone; forestrv lines. 




Fig. 21. — A planting gang at work under the reforestation act. 




Fig. 22. — View of example in thinning, where undesirable hardwoods have been 
removed and put into cord wood, to give the undergrowing stand of white pine 
a chance to grow. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 25 

SYLVICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TREES. 

Trees most commonly found growing in Massachusetts, the Uses to 
which their Timber is put, and a Few of their Most Important 
Enemies. 

For convenience in the matter of reference, we shall separate 
the different species under three heads: (1) conifers, (2) north- 
ern hardwoods and (3) southern hardwoods, the term " hard- 
woods " being used for all trees other than conifers. 

Under (1) will be treated white pine, red or Norway pine, 
pitch pine, Scotch pine, hemlock, red spruce, and Norway 

spruce. 

Under (2) come rock maple, beech, white birch and yellow 

birch. 

Under (3), chestnut, red oak, white oak, red maple, shag- 
bark hickory, black locust and white ash. 

1. Conifers. 
White Pine (Pinus strdbus). 

This species is placed first, both because of its marked adapt- 
ability to growth in this State and because of the universal de- 
mand for its lumber. 

It may be found growing in all sorts of situations except in 
extremely wet soil, such as swamps. This does not, of course, 
mean that the tree grows equally well everywhere, for it undoubt- 
edly prefers a well-drained, loamy sand, and there reaches its 
best development. Ideal conditions exist on the slopes and at 
the bottoms of the old glacial deposits so numerous all over the 
State. 

The white pine grows either pure or in mixture with other 
species, but in the latter case the other trees should form a lower 
or under story about the pine, otherwise, the tree will not grow 
well, being too much shaded by the others. It is a mistake to 
believe that white pine is a shade-enduring tree, for, while some 
shade is beneficial in the early stages of growth, it is very harm- 
ful at later periods. 

Reproduction is by seed, which is produced annually, but in 
much larger quantities at intervals of from five to six years, 



26 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

called " seed rears." The seeding process is described in detail 
elsewhere in this bulletin. 

As regards size and rate of growth, white pine compares favor- 
ably with any eastern tree and far exceeds most of them in these 
respects, reaching merchantable size in about fifty years, as 
shown in the " Forest Mensuration of the White Pine in Massa- 
chusetts," published by the State Forester in 1908. If left to 
gn>\v undisturbed, it reaches a size excelled only by trees of the 
Pacific coast, specimens having been recorded that exceeded 200 
feet in height, with a diameter of 6 feet, while heights of 100 
feet, with 3-foo1 diameters, are uol uncommon. 

The chief enemy of this tree, as of all others in this State, is 
fire, which, if ir does not kill, so weakens it as to render it liable 
to attack by all kinds of insects and fungi. The white pine is 
especially susceptible when young, even a slight ground fire being 
quite sufficient to completely kill it. I n this respect it resembles 
the chestnut. 

Leading insed enemies are the pine weevil and the various 
bark borers, all of which are much less likely to cause trouble in 
healthy stands than in those weakened by other causes. The 
gypsy moth, while it will eat pines as well as everything else, is 
not apt to invade pure stands containing this species alone. The 
lu-own-tail and leopard moths do not eat pine. 

It seems almosl unnecessary to enumerate the uses of the tree, 
as they are so well known. Among them may be mentioned 
building timber of all kinds, laths, various kinds of cabinet 
material, interior finish, wooden ware, matches, flag poles, masts 
and boxes. 

Red or Norway Pine {/'inns resinosa). 

This tree, while common in southern Maine, is not so familiar 
in residents of Massachusetts, partly because it does not grow in 
pure stands, but only as scattered individuals, and partly because 
the difficulty of collecting the seed renders the cost of planting 
cither seed or seedlings very high. The tree, however, is a very 
excellent species, and compares favorably with white pine in 
many respects. 

It grows on the same kind of soil as the white pine, but will 
grow on dry ridges, where the white pine will not. It will not 
grow in swamps or in poorly drained soil. 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 27 

It associates usually with white pine, growing in scattered 
groups throughout the stand. More rarely it is found in com- 
pany with hardwoods, such as oaks and birches. 

Red pine is a rather poor seeder, not beginning to bear until 
about twenty-five years old, and then giving only light crops at 
four or five year intervals. The seed will not germinate in thick 
grass or sod, and the seedlings require much light. A bare 
mineral soil containing some moisture is best. The percentage 
of germination is high. 

In rate of growth red pine is more rapid than white, especially 
when young, though it is more short-lived in the long run. It 
reaches a diameter of 23 inches and a height of 80 to 90 feet in 
one hundred and twenty-five years, producing merchantable 
timber. Sixty years will produce good small stock. 

No serious insect pests or fungous diseases attack this species, 
and it is remarkably free from rot. Light ground fires do not 
injure it so much as they do white pine, especially as the tree 
grows older. 

The wood is used for general construction, bridge timbers, 
shipbuilding, car construction and flooring. 

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). 

This tree grows on dry sandy soils, and is especially suited 
to planting in such localities. When pure it forms very thin 
stands, owing to its extreme intolerance, and it must be above 
all other species in mixture, or it will die. 

It is a prolific seeder, and succeeds well under the above 
conditions, and is also a fairly rapid grower, reaching at times 
a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 30 inches. 

It is not subject to attack by insects or fungi, and is probably 
the most resistant to fire of any conifer in Massachusetts, sur- 
viving repeated burnings. 

The wood is used largely for fuel, being brittle and not 
strong. 

Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) . 
This tree is the common pine of northern Europe, occupying 
there the same place that the white pine does in this country 
as a timber tree. Its growth, however, more closely resembles 



28 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

our Norway, both in quality of lumber and in the kind of soil 
preferred by the tree. 

It differ.-, however, in the fact that it grows well in dense 
pure stands rather than in mixture with other species, and also 
in that it seeds often and abundantly, and therefore costs much 
less to grow than red pine. 

In common with the other pines, Scutch is not much subject 
to disease and insect attack, but is somewhat more sensitive to 
fire than red. 

It is used for the same purposes as red pine. 

Hemlock (Tsuga americana). 

This tree easily the mosl toleranl of the American conifers, 
prefers cold north and cast slopes of the hillsides in the northern 
parts of the State. Because of its extreme tolerance, it will 
grow either with any other species, evergreen or hardwood, or 
in dense pure stands in all stages of growth. 

The seeds are borne in very small cones, and are very light. 
Reproduction is good under favorable conditions of soil and lo- 
cation, and tin 1 tree frequently grows apparently out of bare 
rock, so thin is the soil. 

Trees of this species often grow to a very large size, but such 
individuals are apt to be rotten and shaky. Other species will 
not grow under hemh ck because of the dense shade cast by it. 

The wood is being used more and more for building timber, 
as the supply of other species grows scarcer, and some lumber 
dealers prefer it to spruce for rough frame timbers. If care is 
not used in drying it is very likely to check. 

Red Spruce (Picea rubra). 

This tree is the timber spruce of Maine, and is now the most 
important species in that State in size of cut. It will grow in 
northern Massachusetts on the higher elevations, preferably in 
mixture with pine and hemlock. 

It will grow in the shade of other trees for many years, and 
shows marked ability to start up and grow when suddenly ex- 
posed to the light. 

Growth is not rapid, and large size is not reached by this 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 29 

species ; but good, straight timber is produced, which fiuds a 
ready market. The limbs do uot drop off readily, however, and 
clear timber can therefore be grown only in dense stands. 

The tree reproduces itself well when the leaf litter on the 
ground is not too thick, and the seedlings therefore start readily 
under the mature trees of the same species, forming a stand 
containing trees of all ages. 

The principal enemy is the spruce bark beetle (Dcndroctonus 
piceaperda). 

The uses of the wood are well known ; building timber, piano 
sounding boards, inside finish, clapboards, and in Maine pulp- 
wood, are among them. 

Norway Spruce (Picea excelsa). 
This is one of the principal timber trees of Europe, and is 
strongly recommended for planting in this country, possessing, 
as it does, all the advantages of the red with the added one of 
being a much more rapid grower. 

2. Northern Hardwoods. 
Bock Maple (Acer saccharum). 

This tree, known also as the sugar maple, is one of the most 
important of our northern hardwoods, both for sugar and tim- 
ber. It grows usually in mixture with beech, oaks, ashes, etc., 
as well as conifers, but may grew in pure stands. 

Its chief sylvicultural feature is its extreme tolerance, mak- 
ing it the most shade-bearing of all American hardwoods, with 
the possible exception of beech. A deep, moist soil is neces- 
sary for good growth. 

Seed is produced almost every year, but full seed years 
occur only at intervals of from three to five years. The per- 
centage of germination is rather low, but this is offset by the 
ability of the young trees to stand dense shade. 

Growth is slow, but persists for a long time, the tree reach- 
ing a height of 70 or 80 feet and a diameter of 2 or 3 feet. 
The tree is not very wind-firm. 

Rock maple is not very susceptible to injury by fire or fungi, 
though a good deal of damage is sometimes done by the forest 



30 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

tent caterpillar, which strips the foliage from the tree and so 
reduces its vigor. Another enemy is the " saddled prominent " 
(Heterocampa guttivitta), which has caused a great deal of 
damage in Maine and New Hampshire, but is now being brought 
under control by natural enemies. 

Beech (Fagus ferruginea). 

This tree is conceded to be the most tolerant of all the hard- 
wood species found in Massachusetts; that is, it will grow well 
beneath the most dense shade, provided the soil is suitable for 
germination, and not only this, but it requires shade in order 
to start at all. It grows best on rich, loamy soil, on cool slopes, 
in mixtures with other hardwoods, such as the oaks, chestnut 
and maple. It sometimes forms pure stands with here and there 
scattering pine and hemlock. 

The nuts are so much liked by squirrels that reproduction 
is hindered by these animals. 

The beech is a rather slow-growing tree, generally owing to 
the dense shade which surrounds it; but it reaches good size, 
both in height and diameter. 

The principal enemy in Massachusetts may be said to be the 
"saddled prominent," previously mentioned, which prefers the 
leaves of this tree to all others, thus causing the woods to re- 
semble winter in the height of the growing season. 

The wood forms one of our most valuable hardwoods, and is 
used for tool handles, furniture, flooring and in turnery. 

Vtliite Birch (Betula papyrifera). 

This tree is to be rigidly distinguished from the grey birch 
(sometimes called " white " ) so common in this State. The 
latter species (Betula populifolia) is practically valueless for 
all purposes, fuel included, and must not be confused with the 
white, which forms a valuable timber tree. 

White birch grows on northerly slopes, in mixture with other 
hardwoods, pine and hemlock. The seed is very light, favor- 
ing reproduction by the wind, and causing the propagation of 
the species over burned areas when there is enough soil moisture 
to support tree growth. The tree will not stand shade, being 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 31 

very intolerant, and the seed will not germinate on a thick layer 
of humus, so that reproduction within the woods is unlikely. 

A long, clear bole is developed by growth in the forest, the 
tree reaching a height of 70 to 80 feet in sixty to seventy-five 
years. It is a short-lived tree, seldom living over one hundred 
and twenty years when grown from seed ; sprouts do not live 
over ninety years. 

Its most serious enemy is fire, since it is not subject to attacks 
by insects, fungi or windfall. 

The wood is used, to the practical exclusion of all others, in 
the manufacture of spools, shoe pegs, shoe shanks, and very 
largely for toothpicks, dowels, bobbins, shuttles and various 
toys and novelties. 

Yellow Birch (Betula luted). 

This tree is quite commonly found in Massachusetts in mix- 
ture with evergreens and deciduous species, where it is dis- 
tinguished by its yellow, shiny bark, usually of a tattered 
appearance. 

It is a valuable species for ship building, furniture and 
wheel hubs, having a very fine, clear texture of grain. 

It is mentioned in this list not because we desire to urge 
planting this species, but in order that owners may recognize 
it as a valuable tree, and not of the same class as the grey birch, 
which, of no value in itself, usually causes more or less injury 
to its neighbors by interfering with their proper development. 

3. Southern Hardwoods. 
Chestnut (Castanea dentata). 
This tree, like the oak, reaches its best condition on the lower 
slopes of hills, or in coves where the soil is rich, moist and fairly 
deep. It will grow, however, on a very thin soil, if it be loamy. 
It grows much more rapidly than the oaks, attaining saw log 
size in about fifty years. Under favorable conditions it will 
attain a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 3 or 4 feet. As a 
sprout its growth is remarkable, excelling that of any deciduous 
tree except poplar. 



32 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

It bears a crop of seed each year, but the crop varies in abun- 
dance. 

The tree is quite intolerant, but, as it grows more rapidly 
than the other hardwoods with which it associates, it has little 
trouble in getting all the light it wants. 

The chestnut, in common with the hardwoods, is of course 
eaten by the gypsy moth, but it has few insect enemies peculiar 
to itself. It is, however, gravely affected by a fungus called 
the chestnut bark disease (Diaporthe parasitica), which has 
killed practically every chestnut tree within twenty miles of 
New York. The tree is severely injured by fire, on account 
of the lightness and inflammability of its bark. 

The wood is light, stiff, strong, and very durable in contact 
with the soil. It is used i\>v ties, poles, building material, posts, 
slack cooperage and furniture. The wood is distilled, and pro- 
duces a tanning extract used in the place of tan bark. The cut 
of chestnut has increased nearly 100 per cent, in the pasl decade. 



The Oahs, White, Red and Black. 

For their besl development our native oaks require a rich, 
moist soil, situated in cover or on the lower slopes of a hill. 
With the exception of the swamp white oak, they will not grow 
on wet land; and. on the other hand, they make a fair growth 
on the top of dry, exposed ridges. 

They require considerable sunlight for their best develop- 
ment, but the black and red oaks will stand some shading. The 
white oak is quite intolerant. 

The w T hite oak bears seed nearly every year, but the trees of 
the black oak family require two years to mature the acorns. 

The oak is a slow-growing tree, requiring at best seventy-five 
years to obtain a tree of saw log size. The black and red oak 
grow more rapidly than the white in early youth, but the 
white oak maintains its growth for a longer period, so that at 
the age of maturity there will be little to choose between them 
as to size. 

Brown-tail and gypsy moths seem to be particularly fond of 
oaks, but, as they eat other species very readily, this preference 
is not of great importance. The " saddled prominent " (Hetero- 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 33 

campa guttivitta), an insect now doing a large amount of dam- 
age in northern New England, is known to eat it at times. 
The oak is unusually free from borers and bark beetles, and is 
quite resistant to damage by ground fires. 

Oak wood is heavy, hard, tough, close-grained and very dur- 
able. White oak has these qualities to a greater degree than the 
red and black. The wood is used extensively in ship building, 
tight cooperage, vehicle manufacture, farm implements, ties, 
interior finish and furniture. So great is the economic value 
of this wood that the available supply is being rapidly ex- 
hausted. 

Bed Maple (Acer rubrum). 

This tree is partial to wet land, and is our typical swamp 
tree, growing pure or in company with ash, hornbeam and hem- 
lock. Like other swamp-land trees, it is very tolerant of shade, 
although in this condition its growth is slow. 

It bears an abundance of seed each spring. 

Under forest conditions it seldom attains a height of more 
than 60 feet and a diameter of more than 15 inches. It grows 
quite rapidly when young, but slacks materially when about 
thirty years old. 

It is not attacked so readily by gypsy and brown-tail moths 
as are most of the other hardwoods. 

The wood is lighter, not as strong and more subject to decay 
than is hard maple, but is sometimes used as a substitute for it. 

It is not a tree that is recommended for forest planting. 

Shagbark Hickory (Hicoria ovata). 

This tree is of increasing importance because of its increas- 
ing scarcity, due to the heavy demand for hickory wood, — a 
demand caused by its unrivalled good qualities for certain kinds 
of construction. 

It is primarily a tree of fresh, fertile soils and rich situations 
along streams, and produces good wood in clay soil. 

It is never found pure to any great extent, but always in mix- 
ture with other species, and, being very tolerant, will grow well 
in the shade of the others. 

Seed is borne in a fairly prolific manner every two or three 
years, but the nuts are largely eaten by weevils and squirrels. 



34 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

Growth is not very rapid, but is extremely persistent, the tree 
living to an age of two hundred to two hundred and twenty-five 
years, in full vigor. Timber trees are produced in about one 
hundred years. 

The wood is used for vehicle construction, handles of 'axes, 
etc. It is the strongest of the hickories except pignut, and 
should be favored over that species except on dry soils and 
where there is no market for the nuts. 

Black Locust (Rohina pseudacacia) . 

The black locust is a more southern species, but will grow in 
Massachusetts, and is recommended where a quick-growing tree 
is desired. It demands plenty of light and a mineral soil, and 
produces its best wood at forty to fifty years, reaching only some 
60 to 70 feet in height. The seed is borne in pods, and if left 
in them preserves its germinating power for several years. 
Seedlings grow best when raised in the nursery for one year. 

The wood is heavy, exceedingly hard and strong, very dur- 
able in contact with the soil, and is used in ship building, turn- 
ery and construction. It is preferred for tree nails, and makes 
good railroad ties. 

White Ash (Fraxinus americana). 

This tree prefers to grow on rich, moist bottom lands, where 
ii will be found mixed with elm, basswood, yellow birch and 
maple. It will grow in a wet swamp and equally on dry, ex- 
posed ridges, so that it may be said to be versatile in habit. 

It is quite tolerant when young, but when too much shaded 
its diameter growth is very slow. 

Some seed is produced each year, but abundantly only once 
in three years. It is quite easy to collect, and the tree is there- 
fore one used quite extensively in forest planting. 

The rate of growth is rapid when compared Avith that of 
most of the associated hardwoods, but it varies considerably 
according to conditions of moisture and situation. Post tim- 
ber may be obtained from it in from fifteen to twenty years. 

White ash is attacked by a number of fungous diseases, which 
injure the leaves and flowers, but not sufficiently to kill the 
trees. It has the distinction of being the only deciduous tree 



REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 35 

which the gypsy moth does not attack, although there have 
been cases where this pest has attacked this tree when every- 
thing else was gone. 

The wood is tough and elastic, and this, combined with its 
ability to take a good polish and to season without injury, makes 
it a timber of exceptional value for furniture, car vehicles, man- 
ufacture, interior woodwork, agricultural implements and tools. 

Plantations will do best in a protected valley on a light loam. 



36 REFORESTATION IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



No Received . 



.?, APPLICATION 

FOB AN 

EXAMINATION OF LANDS SUITABLE 
FOR REFORESTATION 

TO THE 

MASSACHUSETTS STATE FORESTER, 

6 BEACON STREET. BOSTON. 

The State Forester is empowered, under chapter 478, Acts of 1908, 
to accept, on behalf of the Commonwealth, gifts of land to be held and 
managed for the purpose of experiment and illustration in forest man- 
agement and for reforestation. 

The owners of land acquired under this act, or their heirs and as- 
signs, may redeem the land from the Commonwealth at any time within 
ten years, upon payment to the Commonwealth of the amount expended 
in improvements and maintenance; provided, however, that there shall 
be included in the deed of reconveyance a restriction requiring that in 
the future the cutting of trees on this land shall be in accordance with 
modern forestry methods. 

" Section 8. The state forester shall re-plant or otherwise manage 
all land acquired by the Commonwealth and held by it under the pro- 
visions of this act, in such manner as will, in his judgment, produce the 
best forest growth both as to practical forestry results and protection 
of water supplies." 

Upon receipt, this request will be placed on file, and you will be in- 
formed, in order of application, approximately when the examination 
can be made, and a mutual date can then be decided upon. 

It is always more satisfactory to personally meet on the property the 
owner or party most interested. In this way a definite understanding 
can be had as to future undertakings. 

When sending in this application, a brief description of the land will 
assist us. 

With the above understanding, I desire to have an examination made 

of a tract or tracts of land of approximately acres, located 

in the town of county of State of 

Massachusetts. 

Signed 

Address 

Date 19 . 




Reforestation 

»d Massachusetts 




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